The effectiveness of oral bovine lactoferrin compared to iron supplementation in patients with a low hemoglobin profile: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Abstract

Abstract Background Patients with a low serum blood hemoglobin concentration suffer from a pathologic state that contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality figures worldwide. Oral iron supplementation, the most common method of treatment, is reported to have poor patient adherence, due to its unwanted side effects. Lactoferrin is a globular glycoprotein of the transferrin family that has shown promising results in patients with a low hemoglobin profile. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials explore its effect on blood hemoglobin compared to conventional iron preparations. Methods We followed the PRISMA Guidelines for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. A systematic search was conducted in electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Cochrane) from inception to June 2022. Meta-analysis was performed on studies where the primary outcome was the mean Hb concentration, comparing lactoferrin to ferrous sulfate subgroups. We assessed the methodological quality of the trials using the Jadad scoring scale. Results Nineteen trials published between 2006 and 2022 met the eligibility criteria. It has been found that the levels of Hb concentration in different populations with varying health conditions undergo a moderate to significant change after treatment with all types of trialed interventions, including both iron and lactoferrin treatment, in both the intervention group and the comparison group. Most of the studies report that LF showed a statistically significant increase in Hb concentration levels, compared to those in the iron group. The meta-analysis included seven trials comparing the effectiveness of lactoferrin to ferrous sulfate for patients with low Hb concentration. The analysis showed a statistically significant increase in Hb levels in the oral bovine lactoferrin group compared to ferrous sulfate (SMD -0.81, 95% CI: -1.21, -0.42, p < 0.0001, I2 = 95.8%, P heterogeneity < 0.001). Conclusions Lactoferrin is an effective intervention at doses of 100–250 ng/day, for patients with a low Hb concentration. As a safer option and with high compliance evidence, lactoferrin can serve as an iron replacement treatment for patients who may be experiencing adverse side effects due to iron intake.